The goal after having a baby is to first gently strengthen & restore your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor. Pregnancy puts a lot of pressure on these areas and it takes time to heal.
A lot of conventional core exercises can make ab separation and any pelvic floor issues worse.
Which exercises should I steer clear of?
Traditional crunches, full planks, and situps are all things you might be familiar with, but they can create an outward pressure and cause further issues. Any exercises such as jumping or running can also cause issues if your pelvic floor isn’t fully healed.
When can I start exercising?
This is dependent on what has happened during your childbirth experience – our advice is to always take it slowly and seek clearance before starting!
Once you get started, try including diaphragmatic breath or “conscious breathing” into your routine. This is the practice of drawing breath through the core so that it knits the muscles back together. This also allows safe movement of your pelvic floor which is very important after giving birth!
So which are the best exercises to begin with once you are comfortable to start activating the core and pelvic floor safely?
- Heel slides
- Gentle bent knee leg lifts, and toe taps while on your back
For more beginner and postpartum safe workouts for health and weight loss join The Fitt Mum Project.
